Curriculum
YEAR 1
YEAR 2
Year 2 Geography deals with knowledge of the man-made and natural environment. It requires students to use and apply their knowledge in data response questions. Many of their exam questions will involve data response to graphs, maps, photos, diagrams and texts.
Topics covered
During the Summer Term, Year 2 Geography students go on a fieldtrip to explore and investigate the relationship between Resources and the Environment.
The first stop is at Klirou dam, where students are asked to recognise the importance of the dam for the local area as well as the challenges that come with it.
The second stop is along the Akaki River, at the start of the nature trail ‘Pikrovrisi tis Merikas’. The students explore the river’s characteristics through the collection of quantitative data and are asked to calculate the amount of water that the river transports to the dam. In addition, the students are introduced to the geological and ecological importance of the site.
The third and final stop is at the abandoned copper mine in Mistero. Here, years of mining have taken their toll on the landscape and students are encouraged to develop their geographical skills by not only identifying and labelling the different impacts of mining on the environment around them but also use critical thinking to suggest affordable and sustainable solutions.
YEAR 3
Geography deals with knowledge of the man-made and natural environment. It requires students to use and apply their knowledge in data response questions. Many of their exam questions will involve data response to graphs, maps, photos, diagrams and texts.
Topics covered:
Mid-way through the Autumn Term, Year 3 students visit the Southern coast of Cyprus to investigate the Physical and Human features of the coast.
The first stop is at Governor’s Beach where students are asked to identify, photograph and label the wide range of different coastal landforms on display. It is not uncommon for students to come across the area’s local monk seal family swimming offshore! Governor’s bay is also the site for many of the island’s vital infrastructure projects including the island’s biggest power station, a military naval base and the Vasiliko cement works. Students are guided to analyse the economic, social and environmental impacts of such areas.
The second stop, moving East along the coast, is at Zygi marina where students can see various examples of coastal management. In addition to practicing vital geographical skills such as spatial awareness and field sketching, students are also asked to evaluate the reasons behind the choice of specific types of coastal protection. An account of both the positive and negative effects coastal management has is also given by the various groups of students.
Year 4 and Year 5 IGCSE Geography
Content
Students study, investigate and research a whole range of physical and human environments. The course attempts to sensitise students to the complexities of the natural and manmade environments and how these behave and interact .All through the course students are expected to see their complex role in these
Physical geography
Key Topic Areas
River environments – this topic will explore the hydrological cycle and the physical processes, which create distinctive river landforms.
Hazardous environments – the characteristics and distribution of different types of natural hazard, including tropical storms, earthquakes and volcanoes.
Human geography
Key Topic Areas
Economic activity and energy – Students will study the variations in economic activity, which have occurred spatially, and over time. They will consider the relationship between population and resources.
Globalisation and migration – Students will study the characteristics and growth in globalisation, including the role of global institutions, transnational corporations, migration and tourism. They will evaluate different approaches to managing migration and tourism in a more sustainable way.
Fieldwork opportunities at IGCSE
Fieldtrips
Year 4:
The middle of the Spring Term sees the first of two fieldtrips organised for IGCSE Geography students. The first trip is to the South-West of Nicosia, to the Akaki river, to investigate changes in river channel characteristics. As this is their first fieldtrip at IGCSE level, our aim is to encourage students to actively engage in the process of geographical enquiry and put the fundamental building blocks of practical geography in place.
Year 5:
Towards the end of the Autumn Term, as part of their IGCSE Geography syllabus, Year 5 students are tasked with investigating the ever-changing use of inner-city Nicosia. To do so, students study a range of regenerated and non-regenerated sites across central Nicosia. Aiming to cultivate critical and reflective skills, students are asked to analyse and evaluate the sustainability of recent regeneration projects, such as the new Eleftheria Square. During this fieldtrip, students are challenged to use a wide range of different geographical skills which not only prepare them for answering fieldwork-related questions in the IGCSE exam but also develop them as independent learners with enquiring minds.
GEOGRAPHY AS / A Level
The AS level is structured into 6 topics:
AS core physical themes:
1. Hydrology and fluvial geomorphology:
Drainage basin system/Discharge relationships within drainage basins/Processes/Landforms/Flood Management Strategies
Hard and soft engineering/Risk analysis. Sustainable management.
2. Atmosphere and Weather:
Diurnal energy budgets/global energy budget/ocean currents/weather processes and phenomena. The human impact: Microclimate-urban heat island/fog –smog-pollution Climate change-global warming –evidence + response
3. Rocks and weathering:
Earth Structure/Evidence/Types of plates /associated landforms/hot spots. Volcanos type/ distribution: Weathering and rocks: types of weathering/controls of weathering/slope processes/mass movement. Human impact: Stability of slopes, landslides.
4. Population:
Demographic change/Demographic Transition Model/fertility /mortality Age Sex Structure/Dependency ratio/Aging Youthful populations/Implications of population structure change-social economic-political/Pop vs Development/Population-resource relationship/Carrying Capacity/Overpopulation/under population/Optimum population/Management of natural increase..
5. Migration:
Migration as a component of pop. Change,/internal/international migration. Intra- urban/inter-urban/forced /voluntary migrations/Causes and impacts: social, political, economic and environmental Case study of international migration
6. Settlement:
Dynamics: Changes in rural settlements/urban trends and urbanisation/changing structure of urban settlements/management of urban settlements.
Advanced Level
The Advanced geography Course is structured into 4 sections
Physical environments:
1. Coastal environments:
Coastal processes/characteristics and formation of coastal landforms/coral reefs/sustainable management of coasts.
2 Hazardous environments:
Hazards resulting from: Tectonic processes/ seismic waves/ volcanoes/ tsunamis/hazard mapping/risk assessment/building design.
Mass movements: Nature and causes of mass movements/landslides/avalanches/ /hazard mapping and management’
Atmospheric disturbances:
Large scale tropical disturbances (cyclones), formation, development, risk assessment +management/tornadoes. Sustainable management of hazardous environments.
Human environments:
Global Interdependence: Trade flows and trading patterns/international debt and aid/ development of international tourism + management of tourist destination.
Economic transition:
National development/employment structures /global inequalities in social and economic well-being/HDI/globalisation of economic activity/TNCs/Foreign Direct Investment/ emergence of NICs/regional development/management of regional development.
- It’s your planet!
- Weather and Climate
- Ordnance Survey maps - Skills
- Settlements
YEAR 2
Year 2 Geography deals with knowledge of the man-made and natural environment. It requires students to use and apply their knowledge in data response questions. Many of their exam questions will involve data response to graphs, maps, photos, diagrams and texts.
Topics covered
- Rivers and weathering
- Economic Activity and industry
- Resources and the environment
- Population
During the Summer Term, Year 2 Geography students go on a fieldtrip to explore and investigate the relationship between Resources and the Environment.
The first stop is at Klirou dam, where students are asked to recognise the importance of the dam for the local area as well as the challenges that come with it.
The second stop is along the Akaki River, at the start of the nature trail ‘Pikrovrisi tis Merikas’. The students explore the river’s characteristics through the collection of quantitative data and are asked to calculate the amount of water that the river transports to the dam. In addition, the students are introduced to the geological and ecological importance of the site.
The third and final stop is at the abandoned copper mine in Mistero. Here, years of mining have taken their toll on the landscape and students are encouraged to develop their geographical skills by not only identifying and labelling the different impacts of mining on the environment around them but also use critical thinking to suggest affordable and sustainable solutions.
YEAR 3
Geography deals with knowledge of the man-made and natural environment. It requires students to use and apply their knowledge in data response questions. Many of their exam questions will involve data response to graphs, maps, photos, diagrams and texts.
Topics covered:
- Coasts
- China- A case study of trade and development
- Volcanoes and earthquakes
- Describe and interpret photos
- Interpret and construct bar graphs, line graphs, scatter graphs, flow diagrams, pie charts and choropleth maps.
- Label maps and diagrams
- Fieldwork sketching
Mid-way through the Autumn Term, Year 3 students visit the Southern coast of Cyprus to investigate the Physical and Human features of the coast.
The first stop is at Governor’s Beach where students are asked to identify, photograph and label the wide range of different coastal landforms on display. It is not uncommon for students to come across the area’s local monk seal family swimming offshore! Governor’s bay is also the site for many of the island’s vital infrastructure projects including the island’s biggest power station, a military naval base and the Vasiliko cement works. Students are guided to analyse the economic, social and environmental impacts of such areas.
The second stop, moving East along the coast, is at Zygi marina where students can see various examples of coastal management. In addition to practicing vital geographical skills such as spatial awareness and field sketching, students are also asked to evaluate the reasons behind the choice of specific types of coastal protection. An account of both the positive and negative effects coastal management has is also given by the various groups of students.
Year 4 and Year 5 IGCSE Geography
Content
Students study, investigate and research a whole range of physical and human environments. The course attempts to sensitise students to the complexities of the natural and manmade environments and how these behave and interact .All through the course students are expected to see their complex role in these
Physical geography
Key Topic Areas
River environments – this topic will explore the hydrological cycle and the physical processes, which create distinctive river landforms.
- The world’s water supply is contained in a closed system – the hydrological cycle.
- Physical processes give rise to characteristic landforms.
- River environments are of great importance to people and need to be managed sustainably.
Hazardous environments – the characteristics and distribution of different types of natural hazard, including tropical storms, earthquakes and volcanoes.
- Some places are more hazardous than others.
- Hazards have an impact on people and the environment.
- Earthquakes present a hazard to many people and need to be managed carefully.
Human geography
Key Topic Areas
Economic activity and energy – Students will study the variations in economic activity, which have occurred spatially, and over time. They will consider the relationship between population and resources.
- Investigates the relevant importance of different economic sectors and the location of economic activities varies from place to place.
- The growth and decline of different economic sectors and the impacts this has had.
- Countries increasingly experience an energy gap and so seek energy security by developing a balance of energy use types.
- A growing percentage of the world’s population lives in urban areas.
- Cities face a range of challenges as a direct result of rapid growth and demand for resources.
- Different strategies can be used to manage environmental challenges in a sustainable manner.
Globalisation and migration – Students will study the characteristics and growth in globalisation, including the role of global institutions, transnational corporations, migration and tourism. They will evaluate different approaches to managing migration and tourism in a more sustainable way.
- Globalisation is creating a more connected world with increased movement of goods and people worldwide.
- The impacts of globalisation vary on a global scale.
- The responses to increased migration and tourism vary depending on a country’s level of development.
Fieldwork opportunities at IGCSE
- Rivers: Integrated skills: A number of opportunities exist to collect, develop and interpret data from a wide range of sources, including geological maps and GIS. Students should learn how to interpret storm hydrographs and climatic data.
- Hazards: Integrated skills: A number of opportunities exist to collect, develop and interpret data from a wide range of sources, including satellite images and world maps. Students should learn how to use world maps to show the distribution of different hazards.
- Ec. Activity: Integrated skills A number of opportunities exist to collect, develop and interpret data from a wide range of sources, including photographs and newspaper articles. Students should learn how to interpret triangular graphs and how to calculate carbon and ecological footprints.
- Urban: v Integrated skills A number of opportunities exist to collect, develop and interpret data from a wide range of sources, including photographs, satellite images and GIS maps. Students should learn how to use quantitative and qualitative information to judge the environmental impacts of urbanisation.
- Globalkisation : v Integrated skills A number of opportunities exist to collect, develop and interpret data from a wide range of sources, including line/bar charts, photographs and newspaper articles. Students should learn how to use and interpret socio-economic data.
Fieldtrips
Year 4:
The middle of the Spring Term sees the first of two fieldtrips organised for IGCSE Geography students. The first trip is to the South-West of Nicosia, to the Akaki river, to investigate changes in river channel characteristics. As this is their first fieldtrip at IGCSE level, our aim is to encourage students to actively engage in the process of geographical enquiry and put the fundamental building blocks of practical geography in place.
Year 5:
Towards the end of the Autumn Term, as part of their IGCSE Geography syllabus, Year 5 students are tasked with investigating the ever-changing use of inner-city Nicosia. To do so, students study a range of regenerated and non-regenerated sites across central Nicosia. Aiming to cultivate critical and reflective skills, students are asked to analyse and evaluate the sustainability of recent regeneration projects, such as the new Eleftheria Square. During this fieldtrip, students are challenged to use a wide range of different geographical skills which not only prepare them for answering fieldwork-related questions in the IGCSE exam but also develop them as independent learners with enquiring minds.
GEOGRAPHY AS / A Level
The AS level is structured into 6 topics:
AS core physical themes:
1. Hydrology and fluvial geomorphology:
Drainage basin system/Discharge relationships within drainage basins/Processes/Landforms/Flood Management Strategies
Hard and soft engineering/Risk analysis. Sustainable management.
2. Atmosphere and Weather:
Diurnal energy budgets/global energy budget/ocean currents/weather processes and phenomena. The human impact: Microclimate-urban heat island/fog –smog-pollution Climate change-global warming –evidence + response
3. Rocks and weathering:
Earth Structure/Evidence/Types of plates /associated landforms/hot spots. Volcanos type/ distribution: Weathering and rocks: types of weathering/controls of weathering/slope processes/mass movement. Human impact: Stability of slopes, landslides.
4. Population:
Demographic change/Demographic Transition Model/fertility /mortality Age Sex Structure/Dependency ratio/Aging Youthful populations/Implications of population structure change-social economic-political/Pop vs Development/Population-resource relationship/Carrying Capacity/Overpopulation/under population/Optimum population/Management of natural increase..
5. Migration:
Migration as a component of pop. Change,/internal/international migration. Intra- urban/inter-urban/forced /voluntary migrations/Causes and impacts: social, political, economic and environmental Case study of international migration
6. Settlement:
Dynamics: Changes in rural settlements/urban trends and urbanisation/changing structure of urban settlements/management of urban settlements.
Advanced Level
The Advanced geography Course is structured into 4 sections
Physical environments:
1. Coastal environments:
Coastal processes/characteristics and formation of coastal landforms/coral reefs/sustainable management of coasts.
2 Hazardous environments:
Hazards resulting from: Tectonic processes/ seismic waves/ volcanoes/ tsunamis/hazard mapping/risk assessment/building design.
Mass movements: Nature and causes of mass movements/landslides/avalanches/ /hazard mapping and management’
Atmospheric disturbances:
Large scale tropical disturbances (cyclones), formation, development, risk assessment +management/tornadoes. Sustainable management of hazardous environments.
Human environments:
Global Interdependence: Trade flows and trading patterns/international debt and aid/ development of international tourism + management of tourist destination.
Economic transition:
National development/employment structures /global inequalities in social and economic well-being/HDI/globalisation of economic activity/TNCs/Foreign Direct Investment/ emergence of NICs/regional development/management of regional development.
